Nanny for Hire
by Sey'nandri
Summary: Anzu is desperate to earn money for her dreams of attending Julliard. In search of work, she lands a job with a Nanny Agency. But when she winds up attending the younger brother of a certain brooding CEO will she be able to stick it out? Seto X Anzu
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello all! I've been away from writing for quite some time, and I haven't shared any of my work for several years, so I kinda see this story as a practice in returning to writing. The idea just wouldn't leave me alone! And I love Seto x Anzu so much, I thought it might be fun to try my hand at one. The rating is for later chapters, and subject to a possible increase. I apologize if you feel the first chapter is moving a little slow, but it is to help set up the story and get it going, so I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Teaser:_ The words had fallen from her lips like bombs ready to detonate, and Anzu didn't have long to wait before the explosion._

* * *

'_Wanted: Part-time dog grooming assistant. Duties Include: Washing dogs, assisting groomer around store with general chores. Pay: 508.354 ¥.'_

Anzu's nose wrinkled at the prospect. She had never been a big fan of dogs - possibly because of a vicious ankle biter her aunt used to have - and the prospect of dealing with them wet and soapy didn't exactly appeal to her. Especially when she thought about how _big_ some of them were likely to be! A sigh escaped her pursed lips as she squinted at the computer screen, her finger idly rolling the trackball to move down the page. Too bad this seemed to be one of the best jobs she'd found so far for someone with her particular set of job skills.

Which were, actually, almost none.

She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to restore some of the moisture staring at the computer screen for so long was slowly stealing from her. She wasn't quite sure how many search sites she'd gone to so far, and really didn't care to think how many more she might have to visit before she managed to find a job. She had a sinking feeling that she might just end up washing dogs.

Anzu worried at her lower lip as she continued her search, inwardly cursing her lack of experience. Never before had she regretted not having a job like so many of her peers, but she was beginning to. Her parents left her a reasonable allowance to take care of any wants - most likely out of some small scrap of guilt for their almost constant absence - and not having a job gave her more time to practice her dancing around school and schoolwork.

Her parents. She made a hard sound in her throat at the thought of them, eyes narrowing as she continued her search with renewed intensity. Much as she wanted to lay the whole problem at their feet as so many other teenagers would, a niggling little part of her just couldn't shrug off all of the guilt; there were too many things she knew she could have done to prevent the current situation, or at least make it a little better. _If_ she'd only thought to get a job sooner, _if_ she'd only put more of the money she was given away in savings, _if_ she'd only thought to keep her big, fat, stupid mouth shut instead of sticking her foot so far down her throat...

Anzu tried to cut that line of thinking off quickly, her cheeks heating with remembered anger. There really was no room to dwell on ifs in the past; she couldn't change what had happened, only move on and try to fix it in the future. Despite her best efforts though, her mind did wander back to the night that was the cause of all her issues.

_It had been dinnertime, a rare gathering of all three Mazaki's as her parent's schedules had somehow managed to align for two days. Normally Anzu would have been thrilled to have dinner with even one of her parents, let alone both, but the strained atmosphere was getting to even her almost constant cheery mood._

_Her gaze flicked back and forth between her mother and father, both of whom were acting more like automatons than living people as they ate and made small talk about the weather and whatever community events they had heard of - most of which had come and gone by at least two months. Ah yes, The Rules were in full force tonight. Anzu's fingers had tightened around her utensil in well-trained control, cerulean eyes narrowing at a plate of food she hardly saw and didn't really taste._

_She hated The Rules._

_The Rules were something of an unspoken agreement in the Mazaki household and had been for as long as the teen could remember. They were supposed to help keep the peace among the small household, but all they seemed to do to Anzu was restrict conversation on the rare occasions they were together._

_Anzu's parents both worked in marketing, but they worked for separate corporations. Because of this, and because neither one wanted to give the other the slightest advantage from a slip of the tongue, The Rules kept them from any talk of work. And, because their work was what they lived and breathed, the reason why they traveled and what kept them up until all hours of the night, there really wasn't much about their lives they could speak of. _

_The Rules had also grown over the years to include Anzu and her 'little hobby', her dancing. Though her mother had been the one to start her in the classes at six - hoping they would help the somewhat clumsy child develop poise and balance - she had also expected her to stop by age twelve, the time when such 'childish past times' should come to a close._

_Anzu had refused, of course. In dancing she had found a solace from her strained home life, a type of freedom that she had never known before. It made her...happy._

_The same stubborn streak that ran through her parents and made them so dogged in their business pursuits also ran in their daughter. Anzu had eventually worn the two of them down into letting her continue, though neither were at all happy with the situation. For once, Anzu hadn't cared whether or not she had her parents' approval. She could continue on with her dancing, and that was all that mattered. And she could always make it up to them by excelling in other areas, such as her schoolwork._

_"Anzu?"_

_Anzu came back to herself with a start, nearly unsettling a piece of food from her fork that hadn't managed to make its way to her mouth yet. She glanced up quickly and saw both of her parents looking at her, her mother shaking her head and her father looking almost amused. Or as amused as Honzo Mazaki ever looked._

_"You didn't hear a single word I said, did you?" her mother accused._

_"I--" Anzu began, trying to remember what her mother had been saying. When nothing came, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"_

_Her mother shook her head, pursing her thin lips. "You know how I hate repeating myself, Anzu." She didn't wait for her daughter to apologize though, whether because she didn't think her child would be repentant enough to do so or to keep from giving her husband the chance to say anything Anzu wasn't sure. "I asked what it is you planned for after your graduation. You've never really told us." She finished with a disapproving nod._

_'Not that you ever really asked,' Anzu thought dryly._

_Truthfully, Anzu had been silently dreading this question all afternoon. Now in her final year at Domino High, Anzu had been thinking almost non-stop about her plans for the future. She knew what she wanted do, it was more the how of it that was holding her up. Her dreams were to attend Julliard in America and train professionally in ballet. Julliard surely only took the best of the best, which would make it hard enough to get in, and then there was the tuition...That was probably a small fortune in and of itself, along with what she would need to pay for room and board._

_Not to mention the reaction her parents would have. She didn't think her mother would survive the possible aneurysm. No, she certainly did not look forward to telling them that. In her panic over what they would say she had cultivated a rather plausible plan for her future with just enough details to keep them happy but vague enough to give her some wiggle room when she put her actual plan into motion. Whatever plan that turned out to be._

_Anzu opened her mouth, fully intent on speaking the false plans designed specifically to please her parents. She could feel the lie on her tongue, gathering on the tip and waiting for her to let it go. She started to speak...but something held her back._

_Maybe it was the stress she had been putting herself through as she worried about her parents' feelings. Or maybe it was the tension in the air that night, so thick she could almost taste it as The Rules seemed to smother her in their confining grasp. Or the disapproving frown curving her mother's thin lips and the almost apathetic look on her father's face as he awaited her reply. Whatever it was, Anzu was sick of it; sick of lying, sick of doing her best to please others instead of trying to make herself happy. Sure, it was selfish, but everyone was entitled to a little bit of selfishness every now and then, weren't they?_

_"I want to go to Julliard, to train professionally in ballet."_

The words had fallen from her lips like bombs ready to detonate, and Anzu didn't have long to wait before the explosion. Both of her parents had leaped into action at once, their voices just about drowning each other out as they rushed to extol the foolishness of such a decision, trying first to argue how unlikely such a goal was, how illogical it was for her to even try.

And though Anzu normally found herself acting as the mediator in her own group of friends, hating to have those she cared about in such discord, she couldn't let herself give in. Instead, she found herself joining in the fray. For every reason they gave her why she shouldn't, she found a reason why she should, even if it was just 'because it feels right.' When her parents had demanded how she intended on paying for such a venture, she had foolishly stated she would save her allowance, and supplement it with a part-time job if necessary.

Which, of course, is how she had landed herself in her current predicament. As soon as the words had left her mouth she knew it had been a mistake, and her parents had leaped on it. They had unanimously revoked her allowance and would only provide enough for her groceries; she could find her own way to pay for such idiocy.

Anzu glared at her screen, mouse hovering over the 'next' button with little hope of anything better appearing. On a whim, she changed some of the filters on the search engine for the site, adding some options, broadening the search. As the page repopulated with new ads Anzu tapped her fingers impatiently. How was she ever going to pay for something like Julliard? A tight ball formed in her stomach, twisting as she skimmed the page. Maybe her parents were...

Anzu's eyes seized upon an add halfway down the page, something in it having caught her attention and making her give it a second read.

_'Wanted: Professional Nanny Agency seeks young caregivers. Candidates are subject to interview both by Agency and by prospective family. Childcare experience is required, along with recommendations from prior clients. For more information and interview options, please contact Ms. Sasaki, 04 3201 1145. Pay: At discretion of prospective family / agency recommendation.'_

This was the best ad she'd managed to find all day! She didn't have any _professional_ experience in childcare, no, and she didn't know just how young exactly they wanted, but she had plenty of experience babysitting. Nearby family members had always been eager to have someone cheap to take care of their children - and who was cheaper than family? Families in her building had also taken advantage of her services; she hated turning them down, and it was normally easy money. She'd always interacted well with children - why shouldn't she give it a try? Its not like she was likely to find anything better, and she enjoyed working with children.

* * *

Anzu had to remind herself once more not to fidget, forcing her fingers to loosen their grip on her skirt as she waited for Ms. Sasaki to finish reading her recommendations. The folder that they came in mostly obscured the older woman's face, keeping Anzu from seeing if her face gave away her feelings on the teen. Already Anzu had been sitting in her office for what seemed an eternity, waiting as the woman read all of the references she had been able to collect on such short notice from the families she'd babysat for over the years.

As soon as Anzu had found the ad for the agency she had wasted no time in calling their number for more information. While Anzu had been worried that she would be deemed _too _young for the position, Ms. Sasaki had seemed thrilled. She would have set up their interview for the following day if Anzu hadn't needed more time to gather her references.

Ms. Sasaki cleared her throat softly to draw Anzu's attention, settling the folder neatly on her desk and smiling at the young teen. The Agency director appeared to be middle aged, a fine web of wrinkles framing her eyes and the corners of her mouth, touches of gray speckled through out her black hair. Her appearance was neat, her suit conservatively cut and neutral in color. She settled her hands over the folder, a warm smile lighting her face.

Anzu smiled hesitantly, shifting in the hard chair in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. "Thank you, Ms. Sasaki, for the interview opportunity. I know I don't have any professional experience, but--"

Ms. Sasaki waved one hand to cut her short, tapping the folder lying on her desk. "I must say Miss Mazaki, when I received your call the other day I was quite thrilled. While I do wish you were a couple of years older, we've been presented with a unique problem at our agency that we've so far been unable to resolve." The director sighed, settling back in her chair, a slight frown causing her forehead to crease. "You see, we have been having a great deal of trouble matching a caretaker to one of our clients. It was suggested that a younger nanny might have better results -- or at least last longer -- but most of our nannies are at least fifteen years older than what was suggested." Ms. Sasaki shrugged slightly. "You, my dear, are the closest to that description. And, while I would normally choose to start you with a less _prominent _client, we are in a bit of a bind for time. And, if these are anything to go off of," her fingers tapped the plain manila folder, "I think you will be able to handle the position."

Anzu blinked rapidly, her mouth opening slightly as she took in the directors' words. While she had been preparing herself all morning to hear the worst, be told she was too young but please come back in a few years or they really did need some form of professional experience, she had never expected to actually _get_ the job. And to have an assignment so quickly!

"That would be wonderful, Ms. Sasaki, I would be truly grateful for the position, I..." Anzu halted herself, feeling as though she was rambling. A touch of blush heated her cheeks at Ms. Sasaki's indulgent chuckle.

"Of course, you will have to undergo an interview from our client as well -- our clients request final say in all appointments, to ensure the best possible fit for their families. You'll only have the one child with this assignment, but he is quite the handful so I am told." Ms. Sasaki rose from her seat, moving around the large desk to a filing cabinet tucked in one corner of the snug office. She continued to speak over her shoulder as she thumbed through the files it held. "Because of his busy schedule I'll have to call him to schedule the appointment, and we can get back to you with the details. Ah! There it is."

She pulled a folder similar to the one Anzu had brought in with her out of the cabinet, sliding the drawer closed and coming forward to hand it off to Anzu. "Now, this is the information on our client -- general information really, age and name of the child, the previous nannies they have had assigned to them. You can read up on this before your interview. Now, can I get your mobile number one more time, so I can get back to you with your appointment information?"

Anzu accepted the folder in an almost dazed stupor, a smile tugging at her lips as she recited her number and accepted the folder. She'd have to read that later; she had a test on Japanese literature to study for that night, and she was nowhere near ready for it. Here she'd been expecting at the most a polite "Maybe later" or "We'll get back to you", and instead she was being given a job as soon as she was hired! The smile grew wider as she left the building, humming a soft tune under her breath and her step lighter than it had been in days.

Maybe things would work out after all. Her plans were certainly still going to be delayed, but hopefully not for as long as she had feared. And besides, how hard could it be to look after one child?

* * *

**A/N:**And there you have it, the first chapter! I hope you guys liked it ^_^ I know there wasn't any Seto goodness, but rest easy, he's in the next chapter I promise! Review if you would like, I would love to hear from you!


	2. Chapter 2

Anzu's steps were surprisingly light as she made her way down the halls of Domino High, a cheery smile firmly in place as she absently played with the shoulder strap of her school satchel. She was quite pleased with the way her meeting had gone with the Nanny Agency the previous evening and, even though she still had one more interview to go before the job was actually hers, it went a long way in helping to ease her mind about her current situation. Ms. Sasaki had even offered to let her pick up some hours as an office assistant and to help find another family if she didn't land the job. The older woman had seemed to sense just how much Anzu needed a position of _some_ sort, and the kindness touched her.

Her smile grew wider upon entering class 3B as three very familiar voices raised above the chatter of their classmates came to her ears. Sitting in their normal corner against the wall were Jounouchi, Honda, and Yuugi, all crowded around one desk. Jou and Honda were seated on either side of the desk and in the midst of what appeared to e a rather tense duel monsters game, Yuugi standing to one side and acting as referee.

'_As obsessed as ever,'_ she thought dryly, moving to stand by Yuugi Though she had never taken to the game as her three friends had, she still enjoyed cheering them on through a match.

"Good morning!" she greeted them enthusiastically, though all she received in return were a few mumbled grunts.

Honda and Jou didn't even look up from their cards at her voice, both of their faces the picture of focused determination. Even Yuugi, who normally made sure to greet her properly, seemed particularly absorbed.

Anzu _tsk_'d to herself, pushing her thick brown hair out of her eyes. She loved her friends, but sometimes…

"Earth to Yuugi!" she called, waiving one hand in front of her friends' eyes. "Surely you're in there."

"That's great, Anzu," Yuugi replied, clearly distracted and not having heard quite what she had said. He had started to nod his head but stopped himself short, his face scrunching up with a frown as what she had really said sunk through. "Wait, what?"

Anzu held her hands over her mouth, unable to control her laughter at the expression on her diminutive friends' face. He chuckled ruefully, scrubbing a hand through his wild hair at his mistake.

"I'm sorry, Anzu, I just got so caught up. I—"

Anzu waived his apology away, her lips stretched wide in a grin. "I wouldn't expect any less, Yuugi."

"Honda and Jou hit a bit of a stalemate, you see." Yuugi said, turning his attention back to the duel at hand. "Jou is almost perfectly positioned to take a win, but Honda…"

Anzu smiled indulgently, listening as Yuugi excitedly explained the play by play so far. It was nice to see her friends so stress-free and having so much fun. The site was somehow…relaxing. And she could use all the relaxation she could get!

"Well, I'm sure when you two get to the finale it'll be quite the show!"

A short bark of laughter from behind the group met Anzu's words, making the young teen's eyes narrow and her fingers tighten around the shoulder strap of her bag at the all too familiar sound. She turned slowly to face the far end of the room, cerulean eyes quickly spotting the source of the interruption. Seto Kaiba sat in his usual position at the back of the room, a rather large hardbound book cradled in his long fingered hands and his eyes skimming the pages in apparent absorption.

Normally, Anzu would have ignored the laugh. As far as digs went it was really one of Kaiba's more passive gestures. And though all three of the guys had tensed at the sound, it didn't seem to be eliciting much of a response in them. But Anzu's nerves were still recovering from their self-inflicted fraying, and something about Kaiba's laugh interrupting her good mood just wouldn't let her leave it be.

"Something funny, Kaiba?" she asked too sweetly, trying to keep her voice light.

She must not have done a very good job though, something in her tone alerting even Honda and Jounouchi to events outside of their match. The three boys straightened from their game, all of their heads swiveling in unison to face her.

At her question Kaiba slowly lowered his book to his desk, sliding one finger between the pages to mark his spot as he flipped it closed. He raised his head to meet her eyes with his own cool blue gaze, his lips curved in that damnable smirk of his. One brow lifted as he considered her in amused silence.

"Careful, Mazaki – I might start to think you've given up being nice to me."

Anzu made a sound of irritation at the reminder, pushing a hand through her thick brown hair. After the events at Battle City she had made an honest effort to engender _some_ sort of friendship between the distant CEO and her own group of friends – or, at the very least, create a less hostile relationship. Mostly she had tried to show him small gestures of kindness: a good morning when he entered the classroom at the beginning of the day, a small smile when they passed in the hall, _trying _ to keep Jou from shooting off his big mouth and causing yet another argument between the two. Whatever she could think of that might help to create some sort of thaw in the young man.

Of course, Kaiba had been completely unresponsive to it all. He'd never returned any of her morning greetings, the only indication that he had actually heard her a slight furrowing of his brow. He never returned her smiles or even seemed to see them, always appearing completely focused on his destination and oblivious to anything in the way.

Even her normally indomitable persistence hadn't seemed to pay off. Someone could only handle so much indifference before they began to lose hope, after all, though she held out much longer than any of her friends had thought she would. Eventually even the small gestures began to grow fewer and farther in between until finally they were only issued when she happened to remember. At most, all they had seemed to do was keep Kaiba from interjecting his mocking comments _as_ frequently as he normally had.

"Well, I wouldn't want to hurt _your_ feelings, Kaiba." She replied dryly, her arms crossing over her chest.

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders at the comment, a soft laugh escaping his lips as he settled forward on his desk, his dark eyes intent on her face. "To answer your question, I found the prospect of a _rousing_ duel between those two Neanderthals to be quite amusing, really." He replied, sounding as though the matter should be obvious and wasn't she daft for not seeing it?

Anzu's jaw tightened at his tone, knuckles going white as she gripped her crossed arms tightly. She knew Kaiba was just baiting her, knew that it was only working quite so well because of her fragile nerves, but there was something about that smug little attitude of his and the arrogant tilt to his head, daring her to call him out on it that made her just want to…

Anzu took a half step closer to him, her mouth opening for a stinging retort. Yuugi's hand shot out to stop her, grabbing hold of her arm to try and bring her back. He started to say something soothing to help cool her temper, but was cut short by their teacher, Mr. Tanaka, entering the classroom.

The old man was as distracted as always, calling loudly for order without glancing around the small room or noticing the brewing argument at the back. Kaiba shrugged disinterestedly, leaning back in his seat and looking to the front of the room, Anzu and her group promptly forgotten about.

She couldn't help a huff of irritation from escaping her lips at his actions but let Yuugi semi-pull her to her seat. She shot her friend a rueful smile, shrugging her shoulders as she did so as if to say "Oops." Anzu gave herself a little shake as she took her seat and began to remove her school books from her bag, determinedly pushing any thoughts of a certain infuriating CEO from her mind.

It was probably for the best that Mr. Tanaka had come when he had anyway, she tried to convince herself. Her mouth had opened in the heat of the moment without the rest of her really knowing what she would say in reply to Kaiba's baiting quip. Most likely she would have made some embarrassingly weak comment that would only amuse Kaiba more and further escalate the issue.

Settling her books on her desk, Anzu flipped to the correct pages and turned her attention to front of the classroom and Mr. Tanaka's droning lecture. She was _not_ going to let Kaiba get under her skin for the rest of the day.

* * *

"'Bout time!" Jounouchi exclaimed loudly at the bell, throwing his arms wide in a dramatic stretch "I thought I'd _die_ before that came."

"There, there – you're poor little head just isn't used to being under so much strain." Honda shot back, grinning widely as he patted Jou on the head. "You'll have all weekend to recover."

A small smile touched Anzu's lips as yet another fight broke out between the two, Yuugi trying his best to intervene. She gathered her books together and stored them in her satchel slowly, making a list as she did so of the assignments she would need to work on tonight and the test she would need to start studying for, and the research that would need to be started for….

"Earth to Anzu!"

Anzu snapped to attention at Yuugi's voice, laughing at his playful expression. The other two had stopped their bickering by then and had their books together, all three of them standing in a ring around her desk.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi. What did you say?"

"Sunday we were going to go to the Arcade to hang out, can you come too?" he asked, his eyes shining hopefully.

"Oh, I – I can't," Anzu replied, remembering her interview with the Agency's client. Sunday had been the first available time he had to meet with her, and the client seemed anxious to get the interview over with. "I'm sorry guys, I already have plans."

Jou's face scrunched up with a frown as he ran a hand through his thick mess of hair. "What plans? You never have plans, Anzu."

"Yeah, you're always just dancing or studying." Honda quipped.

Anzu's cheeks heated at the comment. It was true that she didn't get out_ that _often, but it was of her own choosing. Almost all of her free time was devoted to her dancing, and the rest was normally spent on her studies to keep her parents happy.

"I have an interview on Sunday; I don't know how long it will take." She replied curtly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and moving around her desk for the door.

"A job? Since when did you need one of those?" Jou questioned as they followed her out the door.

"I just…thought the timing was right. I need the experience." Anzu replied quickly.

Though it wasn't the full answer, at least what she had given had been the truth. A part of her wanted to tell them the whole story, if only to get it off of her chest. The larger, more dominant part of her, however, kept her mouth shut. Even with these, her best friends, she still felt herself hesitate. She was normally a private person about such matters, and didn't feel like having her familial issues spread across the floor at the moment.

The reply seemed to satisfy the three of them, at least for the moment. Outside of the school she waved goodbye to them, heading in the opposite direction back to her house.

_Now,_ she thought_, to conquer this mountain of work. First, I'll need to…_

* * *

'_This ride is taking _forever,' Anzu thought, a small sigh escaping her lips as she glanced at the time on her little pink phone. Between the cab driver arriving at her home late and some unexpected traffic, Anzu was worried about making it on time.

As this was the deciding interview with the Agency's client Anzu was determined to make the best impression she could to offset any doubts the family might have about her age. She had even tried altering her dress somewhat in favor of an older look, choosing clothing that was a little more conservative than what she normally wore. Her skirt came down to her knees in a basic A-line and was black with little ornamentation, her pale blue button up blouse was modestly cut, and her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail at the nape of her neck. Of course, none of that would help matters at all if she was late.

Anzu played with the charm dangling from her phone as she watched the city by out her window. All morning the sky had been a dull gray, the angry clouds of an impending storm hanging low overhead. Nothing more than a light sprinkle had fallen so far, the heavy clouds seemed to promise something much worse for later in the day. She shrugged her shoulders to settle her coat, noting the gradual change in the neighborhoods they passed through. The homes this close to the edge of Domino City were growing much larger and more ornate, several making her mouth open wide at their gorgeous design.

She whistled softly t herself as they neared a particularly large home settled at what seemed to be the very outskirts of Domino City, a large swath of open land surrounding it like a moat around a castle. All around the property was a tall, wickedly spiked iron gate. Her eyes widened as they started to pull down the lane to its entrance; she hadn't known _this _was where she might be working. Approaching only made the building seem more intimidating, looking more like a giant crouching among the bushes than a home.

Her stomach began to twist as they neared the house, her fingers gripping the folder with her recommendations tucked inside nervously. Ms. Sasaki _had_ told her this was an important client, but seeing the home they lived in really started to drive the message home. She began to wish she had actually _read _the folder on them that the Agency Director had given her. When she had arrived home he folder had promptly been set aside on her desk as she began preparing for the next day's exams, which she had spent the rest of the night on. The next day, between school, homework, and her dance practice, she _still_ hadn't managed to find time to crack the folder open.

And Ms. Sasaki had been true to her word in getting the interview arranged quickly; later the same evening as her interview the Director had given her a call to let her know an appointment had been set up for Saturday, the first day their client had available for her meeting. And, while Anzu had _meant_ to read over the folder on her way to the appointment, the cab driver coming late had had her rushing to the door as fast as possible – she'd barely managed to grab the folder holding her own recommendations.

As they pulled up to the gate Anzu noted the security panel, a small video screen, speaker, and keypad with a camera mounted on top. The little screen flickered to life as the cab driver pulled alongside it and rolled down his window, an older gentleman staring out at them.

"May I help you?" A small, polite voice questioned from the speaker.

Anzu leaned forward in the cab, speaking clearly and loudly to try and make sure her voice reached the speakers. "Anzu Mazaki, from the Domino City Nanny Agency."

"Please proceed." Came the prompt command, a loud buzz sounding as the gate slowly began to open before them.

The cab driver shrugged as the screen went black, pulling through the now open gate and up the long drive to deposit her at the large front doors. She paid him quickly and all but ran up the steps, taking them two at a time.

The doors were just as grand and imposing as the rest of the house, giant double doors made of a rich, dark wood with large, silver knockers simply carved at the center of each. Before Anzu could reach up to strike one the doors swung wide, the man from the screen holding them open and gesturing for her to enter. The man who greeted her was small in stature for a man, no taller than Anzu herself, with a slightly plump frame and short, neatly combed gray hair. His suit was equally prim, and he wore a wide, polite smile as he ushered her into the home.

"Ah, welcome, Miss Mazaki, welcome. I am Hisoka." He greeted her, voice cheery as he quickly took her coat from her. "The young master has been expecting you, and here you are not a moment too soon, I see. The young master does like it when people are prompt. If you will wait right here, please, I will notify him of your arrival. He's been on a business call most of the morning, to someone in America I believe, though I suppose it must be growing quite late there – it will be just a moment while I check if he is ready for you."

Anzu's mouth closed with a _click_, having opened to start her own greeting, and watched in bemused silence as the little man bustled back down the hallway with her coat in hand. As soon as he'd opened the door he'd started talking and hadn't even seemed to pause for breath, let alone to let Anzu respond. He seemed to be quite the character, this Hisoka.

As she waited for him to return she couldn't help but let her eyes wander about the mansions foyer. Though the area was sparsely decorated, everything it contained seemed to be of a high quality. The foyer seemed to be themed mostly in somber, earthy tones and, though she craned her neck back and let her eyes follow the walls up and up, she couldn't _quite _ see the top of the vaulted ceiling.

"Miss Mazaki?"

Anzu's head snapped back down, cheeks coloring faintly as her eyes landed on Hisoka's' smiling face. He _would _have to return when she was gaping open mouthed like some sort of country bumpkin.

"The young master will see you now, Miss Mazaki." Hisoka continued politely, making no comment on her earlier display and his smile conveying only open friendliness. "If you will follow me, please, Miss?"

Her fingers tightened nervously around the file containing her recommendations as the old butler turned and started to lead her down the hallway directly to the left, a feeling of apprehension growing in her belly Aside from her meeting with Ms. Sasaki, which had been really quite informal, Anzu didn't have much experience with the interview process. What kind of questions was this young master going to ask her? What exactly was he expecting in a prospective nanny? And where was the mother for this interview, or _was_ there even a mother? Anzu cursed inwardly, longing for the folder of information which still sat neatly on the desk in her room.

Hisoka stopped outside a plain looking door about halfway down the hallway, rapping his knuckles over it before opening the door and gesturing inside. "You may go ahead inside, Miss. And good luck."

Taking a deep, calming breath Anzu passed the old butler with a grateful smile and pushed her apprehension to one side; worrying wasn't going to do her any good, after all. The room, it turned out, was a small office. Like the rest of the house she had see so far the room was sparsely decorated, though this one was themed in blue. The carpet and walls were a deep navy blue, the small couch against the wall closest to the door a similar shade. Around the walls of the room were several large bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling and were completely filled with books of all sizes. The dominating structure in the room was a beast of a desk, all heavy lines and blunt angles positioned in front of a wide, floor to ceiling window. The desk was covered with eat piles of official looking documents, a thick manila folder at its center. A thin computer monitor took up one corner of the desk throwing its dim light across the surface.

Behind the desk was a large, black leather chair with a high back, the occupant of which currently had the chair facing the window. All she could see of the man was a head of dark brown hair, a mobile phone cradled against one ear as he continued his conversation, his tone seeming to convey undisguised irritation. The words were quite, hardly sanding above a murmur from where she stood near the entryway, but something about that _tone_ niggled at the back of her mind.

She gripped her folder uncertainly, moving further into the room until she was only a few feet from the waiting chair set out in front of the desk. As the call seemed to be rather official Anzu didn't want to get too close to the desk and give the impression that she was trying to listen in. And she didn't want to be considered presumptuous and just sit without being invited to do so. Just as Anzu was getting ready to take a hesitant step away from the desk the young man concluded his call and folded his cell phone away, turning his chair way from the window to face her.

Without even realizing it Anzu's mouth dropped open wide, her fingers just barely managing to keep their grip on the folder of recommendations as she took in the all too familiar features of Seto Kaiba.

"_You?"_ They demanded in unison, their faces almost identical in their stunned disbelief.

If nothing else, Anzu was comforted by the fact that Kaiba seemed almost as outwardly startled as she herself did, though he also recovered much faster than she did, a distant part of her mind noted in disgust. Anzu was having a much harder time at wrapping her head around the situation. Out of all the clients the Director could have possibly assigned her to, she chose _Kaiba?_

Kaiba muttered what sounded like a curse under his breath, his attention turning to the manila folder in the middle of his desk. He quickly flipped it open, his eyes flicking between the first page and Anzu as a scowl painted his face. Curious as to the folders contents Anzu stepped closer to the desk and managed to catch a glimpse of the page that so consumed Kaiba's attention.

"Is that me?" She demanded, pointing at what looked to be a recent photo of herself in her school uniform pinned to some rather official looking documents.

"Background file." Kaiba muttered absently, his fingers flipping quickly through the first couple of pages. "I'm not about to have someone working on my staff – let alone care for my brother – without having a check run on them. Of course, if that damn secretary weren't such a lack wit I would have had this information _before_ the meeting, and I would have been _aware_ of just who that Agency thought they would be sending." He continued, his voice distracted as his eyes skimmed the contents of her folder.

Anzu eyed the folder warily; that seemed rather _thick_ for someone who'd never really done much of anything. A frown pulled at her lips at his earlier words.

"Isn't Mokuba a little_ old_ to still have a nanny?"

Kaiba looked up from the folder, his eyes narrowing at her questioning look. "Aren't you a little _young_ to _be_ a nanny?" he shot back coldly.

'_Touché,' _she grumbled inwardly, her arms crossing defensively over her chest.

"Of course this won't do, I'll be contacting the Director personally about-"

"Why won't it do?" Anzu cut in sharply, her fingers tight on the edges of her folders and her whole body leaning forward tensely.

Kaiba raised one brow at her tone, his finger tapping against her background folder. "I would think the answer quite obvious, Mazaki, even to you. You have no experience with childcare, nothing to recommend your services, you—"

"The women who _did _have experience don't seem to have lasted for very long." She interrupted once more.

Kaiba made a hard sound in his throat at her disruption, his mouth opening to continue his listing, but she wasn't about to let him start up again. Much as she hated the thought, she _needed_ this job. Working for Kaiba could ensure a more than adequate wage for the time she would put in, and would greatly reduce the delay in pulling her finances together for Julliard, and Anzu couldn't stand to wait any longer than she had to.

And besides, it wasn't like she would be _directly_ working for him; she'd be caring for Mokuba. She'd only met the young boy a handful of times, but he'd _seemed_ like a decent enough kid. She didn't quite understand why the previous nannies had had such a hard time with him.

"I may not have professional experience, but I _do_ have plenty of recommendations." She waived her own folder at him. "You don't seem to have very many takers, from what the Director said, and _she _seemed pretty confident in my ability. You may as well let me _interview_ for the position."

Kaiba settled back in his leather chair, one eyebrow quirked upward in cold amusement. He drummed his fingers against his desk as he considered her proposal, leaving the two of them in silence for what seemed an eternity.

"Why not," he finally conceded with a shrug just as Anzu thought he'd be tossing her out of the office. He gestured for her to hand him the folder, stretching one long arm out to take it.

Anzu just barely managed to keep from sighing in relief and quickly moved around the waiting chair to give Kaiba the folder of recommendations, their fingers brushing lightly as she handed it to him. At the contact Kaiba quickly jerked his hand back as though burned, a flash of irritation there and gone as he quickly flipped the folder open.

Anzu was miffed at the reaction but chose to ignore it, finally taking the seat in front of his desk that still hadn't been offered and waited for him to at least skim the recommendations. She sat towards the edge of the seat, her hands on her knees and her body leaning forward. She had to keep reminding herself not to scrunch up the hem of her skirt in her hands as she waited, anxiety growing in her belly every second Kaiba was silent.

"Well," he finally said, closing her file and tossing it on top of her background file, "you certainly seem to have the beginnings of your own little fan club." He acknowledged, gesturing to the folder with a nod of his head. "What do you think you could bring to the table? You certainly don't have the professional training that I normally look for."

Anzu smothered the rising ire at his casually contemptuous words, reminding herself once more just how much she needed the position. She couldn't afford to blow the interview because of Kaiba's unconscious baiting. Instead, she forced herself to unclench and straightened into a more natural pose, a winning smile pulling her lips upward.

"I may not have the 'professional training' you are so intent on, but I believe I have a unique understanding of the position. I'm _much_ closer in age to Mokuba than I'm sure any of your previous nannies would have been, making me more aware of what he would and would not like in a caretaker. I'm also more aware of any trouble that he might try to get into, and the different ways he would think to test my authority. Sir."

She threw in the 'sir' at the end absently, not sure just how formal Kaiba wanted to make the process. His smirk seemed to grow wider at her response, what seemed like actual amusement untouched by his normal disdain briefly lighting his eyes.

The questions continued for what seemed forever after that, Kaiba picking apart every recommendation she had been given, demanding the specifics of any event mentioned within them and presenting her with all kinds of scenarios to solve. She answered as best she could, irritation growing at every new question he threw at her. It felt more like he was playing with her than actually considering her for the position, the whole time wearing that damnable smirk.

When at last she felt like she could no longer handle Kaiba's obsessive attention to detail, he straightened in his chair and settled his elbows on the desk, his chin resting on the backs of his clasped hands.

"Why do you want the position?" he asked. All traces of his earlier grin were gone, replaced by a flatly serious expression.

Anzu hesitated in her answer, something in his eyes keeping her from blurting out the best sounding nothing like she had with some of his earlier questions. She could have come up with an answer that would have played to his ego, or exaggerated her love of taking care of children. But something in the intensity of his gaze, the way those deep blue orbs pinned her to her seat, stilled her tongue and made her consider a more honest answer. Even after the earlier barrage, this seemed to be one of the few questions that Kaiba seemed genuinely interested in the reply. She couldn't blame him, not really. Mokuba seemed to be one of the few things he genuinely cared for, and he would certainly want to keep anyone who had less than honorable intentions taking charge of his care.

Of course, she also still had to force her jaw to unclench from having to bite her tongue so often to hold in any stupid remarks that might have given Kaiba the excuse to end their interview right then and there. Throughout the interview Kaiba had maintained that irritating little smirk, one eyebrow quirked and a slightly mocking tone touching his voice. _I need this_, she had to keep reminding herself. _Julliard is worth it._

"I – because I need it." She replied simply, lifting her shoulders in a slight shrug. "I don't expect you to understand, Kaiba, but I know I can do a better job of taking care of Mokuba than anyone you've had so far, and I'll care a hell of a lot more for _him_ than any of those other crones you had."

Kaiba considered her for a long moment, his hands clenching slightly as he seemed to debate his answer. He was silent for so long that Anzu began to curse inwardly, knowing that the snappishness of her last answer surely put the cap on his denial, if who she was friends with hadn't already done so. Finally, Kaiba dropped his hands back to his desk, plucking the stack of recommendations from her folder and shuffling them into place at the back of her background file.

"Your appointment will be on a trial basis only." He began, eyes fastened on the papers before him. "You start on Monday, directly after school. The trial period will last for one month, at the end of which I will decide whether you will or will not remain a member of my staff. That is, if you find the arrangement agreeable?"

"Y-yes," Anzu rushed to assure him, a part of her afraid that he might suddenly revoke the offer. "That sounds more than acceptable."

"Good."

Kaiba pushed himself up from his seat, his long legs carrying him around the massive desk until he stood just a few feet away from her. Anzu rose to her feet to meet him and was surprised when he held out one hand to her. Anzu reached out hesitantly to return the gesture; apparently he meant to seal their agreement with a shake.

Kaiba drew his hand back, a mocking smirk lifting one corner of his mouth. "That is, if you think you can handle this."

A fierce scowl flitted across Anzu's face at Kaiba's remark, her jaw popping she clenched it so tightly. "I can handle anything, Kaiba." She replied, not even trying to hide her irritation this time.

He chuckled softly, clasping her hand as he did so in a brief shake. He dropped her hand quickly, taking one step backwards and gesturing to the door. "Hisoka will take down your contact information and set up your security access. You'll find him at the end of the hallway. Now, if you please?"

Kaiba's dismissal was prompt and Anzu wasted no time in exiting the small office; she didn't want to wait around and give him the chance of taking back his offer. Despite the anger and irritation the man had inspired in her during the interview, she couldn't help the faintest of smiles from turning up her lips.

_Maybe Julliard isn't so far out of reach, after all,_ she thought, her footsteps light as she turned sharply down the hall.

* * *

Kaiba watched impassively as Mazaki exited his office, his arms crossed over his chest. He waited until the sound of footsteps faded away before cocking his head to one side, the barest hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"You might as well come out now."

After a few seconds of silence Kaiba heard a soft scraping sound as Mokuba poked his shaggy head around the other side of the door, a sheepish expression painting his face. As Kaiba had suspected, the young boy had been listening in on the interview between himself and the newest addition to their staff.

"Sorry, big brother. She left the door open, and I was curious, so..."

Kaiba chuckled softly as he returned to his desk, settling behind the soft glow of the screen and leaning back in his chair. He dropped his chin in the palm of one hand, elbow resting on the armrest as he watched his younger brother follow him further into the small office.

"Are you really going to give her a job, Seto?" Mokuba threw himself into the chair so recently vacated by Mazaki and sprawled lazily. "I thought you hated Yuugi and his friends."

Kaiba shrugged, giving his keyboard a few quick taps to bring the schematic he'd been working on earlier that morning back up. "I've no particular grudge with Mazaki." Which was a true enough statement; as a mere bystander she wasn't exactly someone to be worried about, though her constant encouragement of such mediocre players as Jounouchi truly aggravated him at times. "I _do_ find it intriguing she would still be willing to pursue the position even after finding she would be working for me -- she's never seemed overly _fond_ of me."

Throughout their interview Mazaki had seemed to be acting strangely, somehow on edge and far from her normal, irritatingly perky self. Such abnormalities...bothered him. Yuugi's little cheerleader had always seemed so transparent during their previous encounters; having her act so outside the norm did not fit with his classification, and he disliked having to revisit such determinations.

"That is, unless you have an issue with her appointment? I rather doubt you would prefer any of the other candidates, though."

Mokuba quickly shook his head in the negative, the beginning of a blush staining his cheeks for some reason. The elder Kaiba decided it was nothing and straightened in his chair, eyes skimming the current coding for KaibaCorps. latest product.

"Since I _have _to have one," Mokuba mumbled, face scrunching up with obvious discontent.

"Yes, you do." Kaiba replied, frowning at the stretch of code before him. This was much too unwieldy, it would be much more efficient if he just reworked that section like so...

"It's not up for discussion, Mokuba. I can't have you unattended, I--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Mokuba cut in, kicking his feet in resignation. Not that he hadn't expected a replacement, of course, but he had been _hoping_ that it might take a little longer...

Kaiba glanced up as Mokuba bounded up from his chair, swinging his arms restlessly as he turned to leave the room. "Mokuba," he called, halting his brother in his tracks. Mokuba turned back to his brother, his head cocked to one side questioningly. "Try not to drive this one off too quickly -- they're getting harder to replace."

A wide, mischievous grin split the young boys face, making Kaiba groan inwardly. He knew that look far too well. "We'll see, Seto. Maybe she'll be better than the others?" He laughed as he bounded from the room, leaving his older brother to sigh and shake his head. If nothing else, Kaiba could be assured that Mazaki would be earning every bit of her pay.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading guys, I hope you enjoyed it! Review if you like, I love hearing from you all. ^_^


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